Question paper leak: Legal notice served to govt officials to provide list of recruits suspected of cheating

A legal notice has been issued to government officials asking that a list be given of those individuals who passed BCS exams using leaked questions and were appointed to various government departments.

The notice, directed to the chairman and secretary of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission  (BPSC), as well as the secretaries of the Ministry of Public Administration and Ministry of Home Affairs, requests that within the next 15 days, a comprehensive list be prepared and published on the Labor Commission's website. 

This list is to include the name, present address and designation of the BCS officers suspected of cheating.

The initiative aims to facilitate taking legal actions, such as departmental proceedings to revoke all financial benefits, including salaries and allowances, received by these officers.

Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab and Barrister Mohammad Kawshar, representing the human rights organisation "Law and Life Foundation", sent this notice to the parties concerned today (14 July). 

Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab told The Business Standard that failure to act upon this notice would prompt the filing of a writ petition in the High Court to seek resolution.

The legal notice highlighted various media reports indicating a long-standing practice where former drivers and other employees of the Bangladesh Labor Commission allegedly sold BCS exam question papers for substantial sums over several decades. 

As a result of police investigations, Abed Ali and 17 other employees of the BPSC have been arrested in connection with the question paper leak. 

Interrogations revealed details on how these individuals accumulated wealth by distributing exam papers.

The notice underscored the BCS exam's significance as Bangladesh's most competitive test, designed to select deserving candidates through rigorous scrutiny. 

It criticised the apparent regularity of question paper leaks, attributing this to dishonest officials and employees within the BPSC. 

The repercussions of such malpractice, the notice argued, contribute to corruption and inefficiencies in government appointments, depriving citizens of competent public services.

The notice demanded accountability through the identification and punitive measures against officials appointed through compromised BCS exams, aimed at restoring integrity to public service appointments.